Chapter 9 - The Final Leap
The deafening roar of the runaway train echoed through the narrow concrete tunnel.
The blinding headlight swept over them, exposing their total vulnerability on the tracks.
"Run," Mark screamed over the mechanical thunder of the approaching metal beast.
Elena grabbed Billy's other hand, and they sprinted frantically toward the opposite platform.
The train was moving at a terrifying speed, its rusted wheels throwing sparks against the steel rails.
Mark hoisted Billy up onto the high concrete ledge of the platform first.
He then grabbed Elena by the waist and shoved her upward with all his remaining strength.
She scrambled over the edge just as the massive steel train bore down on them.
Mark threw himself forward, leaping toward the safety of the concrete floor.
The train blasted past them, the violent rush of air ripping Mark's jacket completely off his body.
He landed hard on the dusty platform, rolling several times before crashing into a tiled pillar.
Elena screamed his name and rushed to his side, pulling Billy along with her.
Mark groaned in pain but managed to sit up, giving them a weak, reassuring smile.
"I am fine," he gasped, brushing the dirt from his bruised face.
They climbed the old maintenance stairs and finally burst into the bustling, brightly lit central transit hub.
Hundreds of commuters rushed past them, entirely unaware of the nightmare that had just unfolded below.
Mark immediately spotted a squad of heavily armed tactical police officers patrolling the terminal.
"We made it," Elena cried with relief, waving her arms to get the officers' attention.
The police quickly surrounded them, securing a protective perimeter around the exhausted family.
Mark demanded they contact the FBI immediately regarding Arthur Vance and his domestic terrorism plot.
The police captain nodded gravely and handed Mark a secure radio phone.
Before Mark could speak, a massive digital billboard above the terminal suddenly glitched.
The advertisement vanished, replaced by a live video feed of Arthur Vance sitting in a private jet.
Arthur looked directly into the camera with a smug, victorious grin.
"You may have won the battle, my son, but the war is far from over," Arthur announced to the entire terminal.
He held up a small, silver remote control with a single red button.
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"I planted a bomb in the boy's teddy bear, and it is armed to detonate in ten seconds."
Mark realized with utter horror that the police captain holding the radio phone was wearing the exact same watch as Arthur's mercenaries.
